Crib



c. E. WEBB CRIB Filed Sept: 2, 1942 Charles E. We lob (Ittorneg Oct. 31, 1944.

Patented Oct; 31, 1944 [UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CRIB.

Charles E. Webb, NewLondon, Wis., assignor to Edison Wood Products, Incorporated; West Orange, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application September 2, 19.42, Serial No. 456,993

3 Claims. (Cl. 292-49) Myinvention relates, to childrens cribs havmg movable side panels, and more especially to an improved and economical construction of such cribs. which permits them to be made largely of wood with a minimum of metal parts.

My invention is concerned with the controlling and mounting of the movable side panels of cribs, and has as an object to provide novel and improved constructions of cribs in these respects.

Especially, my invention has for its objects to provide a panel latch arrangement for a. crib which is easy to operate, simple. in construction and economical to manufacture; to providev a latch arrangement which, consists of only a few simple parts which can largely be made of wood, plastic or other similar materials; and to provide a simple latch arrangement having an, actuating member which can be readily retracted from a normally projecting operative position so as especially to permit a more, compact crating of the assembled side panels and latches for shipment.

Yet other and allied objects of my invention will more readily appear from the following description and the appended claims.

In the description of, my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing of which:

Figure 1 isa principally side elevational view of a crib into which, my invention has. been, incurporated;

Figure 2 is a fractional, horizontal section taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1.; and

F gure 3 is a front view, with portions broken away, of the latch mechanism for the drop side panel.

In Figure 1. l represents end sections of a crib and II a, side panel of the usual construction.

On the end sections there are mounted guide structures [2 for supporting the side panel for movement in up and down directions. There are four of these guide structures-one at each corner of the side panel. Each guide structure comprises an independent guide rod l3 made preferably of wood or plastic and having metal ferrules l4 fitting the end portions thereof. These ferrules engage balls having projecting,cylindrical shanks [6 which abut against and are secured to the end sections of the crib by screws not shown, the balls and shanks being preferably made integrally of wood or plastic and the shanks preferably being encased by metal ferrules to strengthen the same. The guide rods are thus spacedly held from the end sections. The top and bottom rails I I of the side panel have apertured end portions H which slidably embrace the guide rods and secure the side panel to the end Sections of the crib. Since each guide rod is here made short-it being only about as long as the distance of travel of the side panel-it may be economically made of; wood or plastic and be yet small indiameter, say The use of rods of this. diameter permits the side panel to have top and bottom rails, H of ordinary size, with their longer dimension in cross section, directed vertically as is customary and more desirable, while yet. having sufilciently thick walls surrounding the. guide rods to provide a. strong panel mount- The latch arrangement for the side panel comprises. a pair of substantially parallel latch rods I& mounted on the lower rail of theaside panel for movementv longitudinally thereof in directions lengthwise of the panel, These rods-which are preferably made of wood-have metal ferrules l9 secured to, their outer ends which cooperate withv apertured brackets 20 on the end sections U] to holdthe side panel in a raised position. The outer end portions of the; rods are held slidably tov the side panel by enveloping members 21 which are. screwed or nailed to the lower rail H; the inner end portions of the rods overlie one another and have closed-ended slots 22, and passing through these slots and threading into the bottom rail ll are screws 23 forming a slidable mounting for the rods. The inner end portions of. the. latch rods are also provided with cylindrical holes 24 which extend in from the ends of the rods. lengthwise thereof and through the length of the slots 22, the diameter of the holes being somewhat greater than the width, of the slots... In. assembling the latch rods to the side panel, compression springs 25 are first inserted in the holes 24, the springs are compressed and the mounting screws 23 are then inserted in the slots, the springs being then released to bear against the screws. Thus in the assembled structure the springs 25 react between the screws 23 and the ends of the holes 24 to bias the latch rods outwardly into their latching positions, 1. e., into engagement with the brackets 20.

The inner end portions of the latch rods l8 have recesses 26 in their side walls adjacent to the bottom rail ll of the side panel. Extending vertically through these recesses, between the latch rods and the bottom rail l l, is an elongated or bar-shaped actuating member 21 for the latch rods. This actuating member is pivotally held by a screw 28 to the lower rail on an axis which is midway between the latch rods,

rail as is shown. The recesses 26 form respective abutment surfaces 29 on the latch rods against which the opposite sides of the actu-.

ating member, which are respectively above and below the pivot axis of the member, impinge and the abutment surface of the rightward latch rod confronts the left side of the actuating member above its pivot axis. Accordingly the latch members will be retracted and disengaged from the brackets 20 whenever a rightward pivotal movement is imparted to the depending actuating member. The recesses 26 in the leftward and rightward latch rods may however extend beyond the left and right sides of the actuating member so that the actuating member may not be moved as the latch rods are cammed inwardly preliminary to their engagement with the brackets 20. a I

In the actuating member longitudinally thereofis a slot 30 through which passes the pivot screw 28. Since the actuating member is barshaped and provided with a slidable coupling with the latch rods, the provision of this slot affords the actuating member with an up and down freedom of movement. Thus it may be retracted from the side panel to reduce the over all size of the panel and latcharrangement,

and thereby permit a reduction in the size of crating needed for shipping the panel and latch. It will be seen that I herein provide an improved crib structure which has a reduced number of parts that may be largely'made of wood or plastic and which cooperate in a simple way to provide a simple and improved structure. It will however be understood that I intend no unnecessary limitation of my invention to the details of construction shown as my invention may be changed and modified in various respects without departure from the scope thereof, Which I endeavor to express according to the following claims. 1

I claim: 1

1. Alatch arrangement for the side panel of a crib, comprising a substantially bar-shaped actuating member having a slot therein extending lengthwise thereof; a pivot member passing through said slot to pivotally and slidably retain the actuating member to said side panel, said actuating member normally depending from its pivot axis below said panel under the influence of gravity; a pair of oppositely directed 2,361,725 and depends from its pivot axis below the side and horizontally extending latch members having portions passing along one another respectively above and below the pivot axis of said actuating member, said latch members having transverse recesses therein engaged by said actuating member and permitting vertical retraction of the actuating member relative to said panel by sliding movement of the actuating member on said =pivot member, said actuating member being adapted to impinge against the side walls of said recesses to actuate said latch members upon a turning movement of the actuating member on'said pivot member.

2. A latch arrangement for the side panel of a crib, comprising a. pair of latch rods slidably mounted on the lower portion of the side panel for movement in directions lengthwise of the panel, said rods having overlying portions spaced vertically from one another and each provided with a pair of abutment faces; a vertically extending actuating bar for said rods; means pivotally securing said bar to said panel at a point on the panel between said rod portions and in position wherein the bar extends crosswise of said rods between the abutment faces on each of the rods and depends below the side panel, said bar being adapted toimpinge against abutment faces and actuate said rods upon a pivotal movement of the bar about said point, and said pivoting means being adapted to permit said bar to be slid vertically upwardly between the abutment faces on each of said rods for retraction of the bar relative to said panel.

3. A latch arrangement for the side panel of a crib comprising a pair of rods slid-ably mounted on the lower portion of the side panel for movement in directions lengthwise of the panel into positions to render the latch effective and ineffective, said rods extending from the central portion of said panel in opposite directions towards the ends of the panel and the inner end portions of said rods having abutment faces; a vertically-extending member between said abutment faces for actuating said rods; a pivot securing said member to said panel in position wherein the member lies between said abutment faces and extends transversely past said rods below the side panel, said member operating to impinge against said abutment faces and to actuate said rods upon the member being turned about said pivot, said member having a slot therein extending lengthwise thereof through which passes said pivot, said slot permitting said member to be slid vertically upwardly between said abutment faces for retraction of the member relative to said panel.

* CHARLES E. WEBB. 

